Trailer coupling pin



Jan. 23, 1945. L.. E. KELLEY TRAILER COUPLING PIN Filed Dec. 18, 1943l Efffzzey IN VEN TOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE TRAILER COUPLIN G PIN Lawrence E. Kelley, Howe, Tex., assig'nor of onehall' to William Henry Long, Howe, Tex.

Application December 18, 1943, Serial No. 514,839

U 4 Claims. (Cl. 280-33.15)

This invention relates to coupling pin construction, and particularly to coupling pins used in' coupling trailers to their towing vehicles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide pin of this character which will be secured against accidental displacement, and one which may only be released, by manual operation of the locking arm and spring pressed locking collar, forming the coupling lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a l thereof. pivoted locking arm adapted to cooperate with a Mounted on the upper end of the coupling pin coupling pin in holding the coupling pin in its 5, is a coiled spring I3, which has one end thereactive position. of resting against the locking collar l2, the oppo- Still another object of the invention is to prosite end of the spring being held against movevide means for holding the locking arm in its inment, by the disk I4 which is secured on the active position, to permit the pin to be posiupper end of the coupling pin, and held in place tioned with one hand, leaving the other hand by means of the cotter pin I5. free to line up the openings of the trailer tongue When the locking arm 6 is in the DOSiiOn aS and hitch bar of the towing vehicle, for the shown in full lines in Fig- 1 0f the drawing, it reception of the coupling pin. will be seen that the coupling pin will be se- With the foregoing and other objects in view, curely held within the openings of a trailer tongue which will appear as the description proceeds, the and tractor hitch 0f a towing Vehicle, and Call invention resides in the combination and arrangeonly be IeInOVed by Sliding the locking 0011er along ment of parts and in the details of construction the locking pin, to disengage the extension 8. hereinafter described and claimed, it being un- The locking arm may 110W be swung to the DOS- derstood that changes in the precise embodiment tion as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereupon of the invention herein described, may be made the locking 6011er When released, will exert preswithin the scope of what is claimed, without desure against the rounded edge 9 of the locking parting from the spirit of the invention. l arm, to hold the locking arm in its inactive posi- Referring to the drawing: u tion as shown in dotted lines. With the locking Figure l is an elevational view illustrating a arm in this position, it will be obvious that a percoupling pin equipped with a pivoted locking arm son may readily align the openings of the trailer constructed in accordance with the invention, the tongue with the motor vehicle tractor hitch, and locking collar being shown in section. the coupling pin positioned in the aligned open- Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the cou- 3 ings, While the coupling pin is being held in one pling pin. hand of the person coupling the trailer to a tow- Figure 3 is a plan view thereof. ing vehicle. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4- After the coupling pin has been properly posiof Figure 1. tioned, the locking arm may be pushed towards Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 o the coupling pin or to the position as shown in of Figure 1. full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, where the cou- Referring to the drawing in detail the coupling pling pin will be securely held against accidental pin is indicated by the reference character 5, and displacement. It will of course be understood is provided with a fiat surface, over which the that when the locking arm is moved to its lockpivoted locking arm 6 swings, the pivoted locking ing position, the collar I2 automatically moves to arm t being connected with the pin 5, by means the position shown by Fig. l, Where it encircles of the pivot pin l. As clearly shown by Fig. 2 the extension 8 of the locking arm preventing of the drawing, the locking arm 6 is mounted on movement of the locking arm. the coupling pin, so that it is slightly offset, to What is claimed is: permit the locking arm to move over the edge of l. In a coupling pin, a pin section adapted to the coupling pin. The locking arm 6 is substanbe positioned in aligning openings of bars to be tially U-shaped, and is formed with an extension coupled, a locking arm pivotally connected with i? that has a. rounded edge 9, the extension exthe pin section, an extension on the locking arm tending an appreciable distance beyond the pivot adapted to lie in parallel relation with the pin pin l, and being disposed at right angles to the leg I0 of the pivoted locking arm 6, so that when the pivoted locking arm is in its locking position, the extension 8 will lie in parallel relation with the coupling pin.

A shoulder indicated at II is formed on the coupling pin, at a point adjacent to the pivot pin 1, the shoulder providing an abutment for the locking collar I2 that is mounted on the coupling pin 5, for movement longitudinally section, a spring pressed collar mounted on the coupling pin, saidI collar adapted to move to a position over the extension, securing the locking arm in its locking position, and the free end of said locking arm adapted to move intd engagement with the pin section securing the pin section within the openings of the bars coupled.

2. In a coupling pin, a pin section adapted to be positioned in aligning openings of bars to be coupled, a locking arm pivotally connected with the pin section, an extension on the locking arm and adapted to lie in parallel relation with the pin section, said extension having a curved end, a collar mounted on the pin and adapted to move longitudinally thereover, said collar adapted to move over the extension, securing the locking arm against movement, a coiled spring adapted to urge the collar over the extension, securing the locking arm in its locking position, and said collar adapted to engage the curved end of the extension when the tree end of the locking arm is moved away from the pin, holding the locking arm in its open position.

3. In a coupling pin, a main pin section adapted to be positioned in aligning openings of bars to be coupled, a. substantially U-shaped locking arm, means for pivotally connecting one end of asoman the locking arm to said main pin section, said locking arm adapted to extend around the bar! coupled and engage the pin section when the locking arm is in its closed position, whereby the pin section is held within said opening, an extension formed at one end of the locking arm, and a securing collar slidably mounted on the pin section adapted to engage the extension, securing the locking arm in either its closed position or in its open position.

4. In a coupling pin, a main pin section adapted to be positioned in aligning openings of the bars to be coupled, a shoulder on the pin section, a locking collar movable longitudinally of the pin section, a coiled spring adapted to urge the collar towards the shoulder, a locking arm pivotally connected t0 the pin section at a point intermediate the ends of the pin section, an extension on said locking arm, said extension adapted to lie in parallel relation with the pin section, said locking collar adapted to move over said extension, holding the locking arm in its closed position, and said collar adapted to engage the end of the extension, securing the locking arm in its 25 open position under certain conditions.

LAWRENCE E. KELLEY. 

